1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to free-hanging coverings for architectural openings and more particularly to a system for suspending a free-hanging covering in an architectural opening which may be non-rectangular in configuration.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Coverings for architectural openings such as doors, windows, archways and the like have taken numerous forms for many years with early coverings simply consisting of fabric draped across an architectural opening. Through the years, however, more sophisticated and even designer-type coverings have been made which are retractable in nature. By way of example, a venetian blind is a very common retractable covering for an architectural opening wherein a plurality of horizontally disposed slats are supported on tape or cord ladders so the slats can be tilted about their horizontal longitudinal axes or gathered into a stack at the top of the architectural opening in a retracted position of the covering.
Vertical blinds are also available which are similar to venetian blinds except the slats are extended vertically, but again will pivot about their longitudinal axes or can be gathered into a compact stack adjacent one or both sides of the architectural opening.
Cellular shades have become very popular wherein collapsible cells of a fabric material are horizontally extended across an opening and can be retracted adjacent one edge of the opening with lift cords that move one edge of the covering toward an opposite edge while successively collapsing cells until there is a compact stack of the cells adjacent the opposite edge of the opening.
More recently, a cellular shade has been developed which includes a pair of spaced fabric sheets of material such as sheer that are interconnected at spaced locations with horizontal vanes that may or may not be flexible. When one sheet of material is shifted relative to the other, the vanes are moved or pivoted between open and closed positions such that when the vanes are in a closed position, they overlap and lie in a parallel plane with the sheets of material but in an open position bridge a space between the sheets of material and define gaps therebetween through which light and vision can pass. Typically coverings of this type are rolled around a roller at the top or bottom of the architectural opening to retract the covering.
There are many times, however, when retractable shades are not necessary or desirable such as with accent windows that might be positioned above larger picture windows or along the crowned upper edge of a door or a relatively small wall in an architectural structure. In such accent windows it is many times desirable that the covering simply be fully extended across the opening at all times. A problem in dealing with accent windows is that they are not always rectangular in configuration and some may for example have a curved or arched top edge or an inclined top edge so they are not easily covered with conventional covering materials.
It is to provide a free-hanging covering for architectural openings which finds a particular but not exclusive use in openings of unusual configuration that the present invention has been developed.